Driving tool for securing means



March 26, 1957 J. E. GAULKE DRIVING TOOL FOR SECURING MEANS Filed May 23, 1955 INVENToR. 27272777 E.' yEaZ/Ziff? Unite States Patent O '2,786,202 DRIVING root non sncunnsro MEANS John E. Gaulke, Milwaukee, Wis. Application May 23, 1955, serial No. 510,210

4 claims. (ci. 1-41) This invention relates to a hand tool for driving securing means such as various types and sizes `of nails, screws, and pins.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the provision of a new and improved hand too-l including a relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion which forms a gripping means for the tool and a guide for a A,force transmit-ting punch and which is provided, at its forward end, with means for the positive positioning and guiding of securing means, in the form of nails, screws or pins, withinrthe tool to insure the alignment of and surface contact between the forward yend of the punch and one end of the securing means which may be driven into a support through inertia provided by hammer blows struck on the exposed 'end of the punch.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improv-ed hand tool for driving securing means which has a relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion which forms a gripping means for the ltool and includes a plurality of jaw elements which are yieldahly retained in desired cooperating relationship, through the medium of an elastic or yieldable member or sleeve, to form a guide for a force transmitting punch and position and guide the securing means in the tool.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improvedhand tool comprising a relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion including a plurality or" cooperating jaw elements yieldably retained in cooperating relationship by a 'yielda-ble member 'and each having one end ro'ckahly mounted on a retaining member with their other ends cooperating to delineate a chamber for receiving and means for yieldably positioning and guiding the securing means.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improved hand tool comprising a relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion including a plurality of partially separable jaw elements yieldably retained in 'cooperating relationship by an elastic sleeve element; each of the jaws has one of their ends rockably mounted on a retaining member and their other ends separable, under the action of either the securing means or the punch,to position and guide the securing means and punch as they are moved forwardly lthrough the body portion of the tool.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a new and improved hand tool comprising a 'relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion forming a guide for slidably receiving a punch and including a chamber for receiving, positioning, and guiding securing means adapted to be driven into any suitable support by means of hammer blows struck 'on'the exposed end of the punch.

A more specific object of th'e present invention resides in the provisiony in a hand tool of 'a plurality of jaws arranged for yieldable retention lin cooperating relationship to form a relatively long hollow cylindrical body portion which 'serves vvas a guide for a punch and simulrtane'ously provides a chamber for receiving securing 2,786,202 Patented Mar. `ze, 1957 means, `a tapered surface for centering the securing means in alignment with the punch and guide means for contacting the securing means to maintain it in proper position to be driven into a lixed support by means of hammer blows struck on the exposed end of the punch.

A more specific object of the present invention resides in the formation ofthe Vforward end of the yieldably separable jaws of the hand tool in a manner which provides means for positively positioning, retaining,v and guiding the 'securing means in axial alignment with a driving" punch to insure proper starting of the driving .means and permits their separation under the influence of either the head of the securing means or the punch to permit the securing means to be driven to its final position in a support.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of new and improved means for loading and reloading the hand tool with a succession of the desired `siz'e and type of securing means.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

ln the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of a hand tool, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, showing a securing means in the form of a nail deposited in a chamber formed in the forward part of the body portion of the tool; Y

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view ofthe tool shown in Fig. 1 with the punch manually advanced to a position in which it has contacted one end of a securing means and moved the securing means forwardly to extend the other end thereof beyond lthe 'forward extremity of the nose ol the tool to facilitate the positioning and driving of the securing means into a support;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse horizontal sectional view 'of the tool, falten substantially on the line 3 3 of `Fig. 2, showing, in full lines, the forward portion of the jaws in expanded position under the inuence of the end of the punch when the securing means approaches its {ina-l position in a support into which itis being driven; and showing, in dotted lines, the relative position of the several elements of the tool prior to the beginning of the driving action;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view #through the nose of the jaws, taken substantially on the 'line 4 4 of Fig. v2, showing the inner guide surfaces on the jaws which cooperate to positively guide, position, and retain the shank of the securing means in axial alignment with the punch;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view, 'taken substantially along the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing the slot and chamber into which the securing means isdeposit'ed;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional View similar to that shown in Fig. 5, taken on the line 6 5 of Fig. .2, showing an enlarged portion of the slot adapted Ito 'receive and accommodate the head portion of the securing'rneans; and

`Fig. 7 is an kenlarged vertical transverse sectional view, taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2, showing an elastic sleeve -which serves as a 'tool gripping means and to yieldably retain the `jaws of the driving tool in proper cooperating relationship.

Before entering into a detailed description of the present invention,`it -is deemed advisable to enumerate some of the uses and advantages of the hand tool of the present invention. At the outset the tool is adapted to accommodate various 'sorts and sizes 'of nails, screws and pins whether they be long or short, vthick or thm, round, square or tapered. Furthermore, the device is so constructed that 'it ln't only provides la guide for 'a punch but Valso serves to position, retain and guide the securing means regardless of its size, shape and cross-sectional form. The hand tool is of sturdy construction and is capable of being utilized for driving various types of securing means, such as nails, through sheet metal, into concrete or concrete blocks, wood, plastic, or other material.

The present hand tool is particularly well adapted for use in places where ready access for securing purposes is difficult. The length of the tool combined with the positioned retention of the nail or securing means in its nose portion makes it possible to position and drive nails at the base of relatively deep channels, closely adjacent corners of molding and in many other places where operating space is not available or where considerable reach is required.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l of the drawing, it will be noted that a hand tool 1th, constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, includes a relatively long substantially cylindrical hollow body portion 11 composed of a pair of jaws 12 which are identical save for the fact that they are respectively right and left hand members. Both of the jaws 1.2 are relatively long and have a semi-cylindrical transverse cross-section produced either by casting or the stamping and forming of at sheet metal blanks. One end of each of the jaws 12 terminates in an arcuately shaped concaved inwardly directed flange 13 adapted to be received and retained on a positioning ring 14. The ring 14 serves to position the jaws 12 in desired cooperating relationship, retain them against relative axial movement and to provide a hinge mounting for one end of each of the jaws 12. A resilient sleeve element 15, formed of any suitable material, is slidably receivable over and surrounds a portion of the body 11 of the tool 10 to maintain the jaws 12 in desired cooperating relationship and at the same time provide yieldable means which permits separating movement between the forward ends of the jaws 12 under the inliuence of either the securing means or a driving punch 16.

Fi'he punch 16 is slidably receivable through the open anged end of the body portion 11 and is guided between cooperating inner surfaces 17 of the jaws 12. The punch 16 is preferably in the form of a hardened steel bar having an outer or exposed end 1S against which hammer blows may be applied and a forward end 19 adapted to contact one end of a securing means 2t) which is disposed within a chamber 21 formed adjacent the forward end of the body portion 11 of the tool 10.

ln the event that relatively long or large diameter securing means are to be employed, the driving punch 16 may be withdrawn from the body of the tool and the securing means deposited into the same through the open anged end of the body portion, after which the driving punch may be reinserted into the tool and moved forwardly to advance the securing means to the forward end of the tool. ing means are to be utilized, means is provided in the form of an opening 22 extending through the wall of the body portion 11 adjacent the forward end thereof. The opening 22 is comprised of a recess in the form of a flange 23 struck from the upper marginal edge of each of the jaws 12 in a manner such that they cooperate, when the jaws are in closed position to delineate the opening 22 adapted to receive the securing means 20. The cooperating intermediate portions of the jaws 12 delineate the chamber 21 which is adapted to house the inserted securing means 20. The forward ends of the inner surfaces 17 of the body portion 11 merge into forwardly and inwardly tapering surfaces 24 which, in turn, merge at their forward ends into guide surfaces 25, in the form of a groove, which constitutes the inner wall of the forward extremity of each of the jaws 12. The axes of the guide surfaces 25, the tapering surfaces 24 and the inner surfaces 17 of the jaws 12 lie in axial alignment for the purpose of maintaining the driving punch ln the event that shorter nails or secur- 16 and securing means 2@ in alignment to facilitate the proper driving of the securing means.

The operation of the hand tool 10 is extremely simple. The driving punch 16 may be retracted to a position in which its forward end 19 clears the opening 22 formed in the wall of the body portion 11 and a securing means 20 may be deposited through the opening 22 into the charnber 21 formed in the intermediate portion of the body 11. The punch 16 may then be pushed forwardly by hand until its forward end 19 contacts the head of the securing means 20 and urges the pointed end thereof beyond the nose of the driving tool. As the securing means 2@ moves between the forward ends of the jaws 12 it contacts the guide surfaces 25 to etfect a spreading action between the jaws 12 to yieldably retain the securing means 2@ in axial alignment with the driving punch 16 under the action of the resilient sleeve member 1.5. The hand tool may be held in desired position with respect to the support into which the securing means 2d is to be driven by gripping the resilient sleeve element 15 in one hand and a blow from a hammer held in the other hand may be directed against the exposed end 1S of the punch 16 to provide the inertia for driving the securing means 2t) into the support through the surface contact between the forward end 19 of the punch 16 and the head end of the securing means 2li. Repeated blows of the hammer will serve to move the securing means 20 through the hand tool 10 and into the support. As the head of the securing means 20 moves forwardly through the body portion 11 of the hand tool, the marginal edge of the securing means 2t) will contact the tapered surfaces 24 of the jaws 12 to cause further spreading action between them. The spreading action between the jaws 12, however, does not take place until such time as the securing means 2t) has penetrated the support a suflicient distance to insure its firm positioning therein. As the forward portion 19 of the punch 16 advances, it also contacts the tapered surfaces 24 of the jaws 12 to maintain them in spaced relationship to permit the punch 16 to move between the guide surfaces 25 in order to effect the full setting of the securing means Ztl in the support. After the securing means 20 has been driven into position in the support, the hand tool 10 may be removed from its position over the head of the securing means and the punch 16 may be manually retracted in the body portion of the driving tool 1i) to permit the reloading of the same with another seeming means in the manner previously described. ln the event that it is desired to utilize longer and larger securing means such as spikes or long screws, the punch 16 may be withdrawn from the hollow body portion 11 of the hand tool 10 and the long nail or screw may be dropped into the hollow body portion of the tool and the punch reinserted and pushed inwardly to contact the head of the nail or screw and push the point thereof through the jaws so that it will project beyond the nose of the driving tool to facilitate the positioning of the tool for the purpose of driving the securing means into a support.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that a simple, inexpensive, and effective hand tool has been provided which maintains the securing means in axial alignment with the punch at all times to insure full and square y contact between the forward end 19 of the punch 16 and the head of one end of the securing means 20 to insure the driving of the securing means into a support through the impact of a hammer blow on the exposed end 18 of the punch 16.

It should be noted further that the jaws 12 of the hand tool 1G are maintained in yieldable cooperating relationship on the positioning ring 14 by means of the yieldable elastic sleeve element 15. The elastic nature of the sleeve element 15 provides a gripping handle which prevents the transmission of shock from a hammer blow struck on the outer end 18 of the punch 16 to the hand that is holding the hand tool 10 in position. The elastic sleeve element 15 serves to permit the forward ends of the jaws 12 to expand to accommodate the forward end 20 of the punch 16 as it moves into position for the final setting of the securing means. The elastic sleeve element 15 further povides a means for constantly urging the forward ends of the jaws toward each other for the purpose of positioning and guiding the securing means 20 in aligned relationship with the punch 16 as the securing means and punch are advanced through the hand tool under the impact of a hammer blow on the exposed end 18 of the punch 16.

While the invention has been described in considerable detail in the foregoing specification, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its embodiment without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages hereinafter claimed.

i claim:

l. A hand `tool for driving securing means, said tool comprising a plurali-ty of relatively long jaws forming a hollow body including a hand gripping portion, a punch 1 gniding portion, and a securing means receiving positioning and guiding portion, a member on which one end of each o1 said jaws is rockably mounted, a resilient element surrounding said body to yieldably retain said jaws in cooperating relationship, a driving punch slidably receivable in and guided for axial movement in said punch guiding portion of said hollow body, said driving punch being longer than said body portion thereby providing an exposed end against which a driving force may be applied, means for receiving a securing means in said body,

and guide surfaces adjacent the f ee end of each of said jaws cooperating under the action of said resilient element to yieldably Contact position and guide said securing means in axial alignment with said punch as said securing means is advanced through the tool in response to a force applied to the exposed end of said punch.

2. A hand tool for driving securing means, as set forth in claim l, in which the member on which one end of each of said jaws is mounted comprises a ring element receivable in a cooperating groove disposed adjacent one end of each of said jaws.

3. A hand tool for driving securing means, as set forth in claim l, in which said resilient element for yieldably retaining said jaws in cooperating relationship comprises a hand gripping shock absorbing sleeve.

4. A hand tool for driving securing means, as set forth in claim 1, in which the member on which one end of each of said jaws is mounted comprises a ring element receivable in cooperating grooves disposed adjacent one end of each of said jaws, and in which said resilient element for yieldably retaining said jaws in cooperating relationship comprises a hand gripping shock absorbing sleeve.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 544,226 Higham Aug. 6, 1895 575,198 Atwood Ian. l2, 1897 2,416,312 Harkeen Feb. 25, 1947 

